How To Clean the Control Valve and Jet of Your Propane Stove

How can you tell if a control valve is dirty without disassembling the stove? One telltale sign of this is that you cannot get a very hot flame as the gas flow is inhibited.

If you see this symptom, you need remove the needle valve from the stove to clean it. First you need to remove the canister from the stove and then undo the locking mechanisms that prevent the needle valve from being removed accidentally.

This locking mechanism is usually in the form of a small lock nut on the shaft of the valve. Remove it using the right sized spanner. There might also be a pin stops the valve from being removed. The maintenance kit will usually include everything you need to disassemble the stove and also some silicone grease.

When taking the stove apart, it's important that you don't lose any important part and make sure that no dirt gets into the mechanism. Once you have removed the needle valve, inspect it carefully and wipe out any dirt and grime. Using a toothpick or cotton bud, clean out the hole the needle goes into and make sure there is no obstruction.

There will be O-rings on the needle valve but removing them is not necessary. The surface of the O-rings should be smooth so if it looks rough or broken replace them with the ones included in the maintenance kit. Apply some silicone grease on the O-rings and the screw threads.

A dirty jet will have similar symptoms to the dirty control valve. If you get a low flame when the valve is wide open, the jet is fully blocked and needs to be cleaned. The flame should be low when the valve is nearly shut but if the flame lifts off the burner when the valve is fully opened and/or there are no flames on some of the burner holes then the jet is partially blocked.

When this is the case, make sure you turn off the stove immediately and ventilate the area if you're not already in a ventilated area. A partially blocked jet is dangerous because as the holes are smaller, the same amount of gas comes out of the holes at a rate that is too fast sustain a flame.

To clean the jet if you're using an upright canister stove, tip it upside down and open the control valve wide for a few seconds. The fuel will spray out everywhere but the fast pressurized flow of fuel may wash the jet clean. There's no guarantee that this will work all the time but if it does you just cleaned the jet as quickly as possible.

Another method of cleaning the jet is by using the pricker supplied with the stove. The pricker is a fine wire that is smaller than the hole of jet with a handle so that it is easier to use. You can use other wires but it needs to be small enough and hard enough for cleaning.

The jet can be cleaned without removing the jet from the stove but you risk pushing in the muck which could block the jet again later. Some stoves allow you to poke from the inside and pushing the muck outwards.

The best way to clean the jet is by doing it at home with good lighting and the right tools with no time pressure. The process involves disassembling the stove and it can be frustrating if you forget how to reassemble later. Laying out the parts in order helps but if you can video yourself disassembling the stove, so much better. Be sure the stove is cool before you disassemble it.

The thing you should do is remove the burner head and the legs of the stove. It usually involves unscrewing the burner head from the base. Next you remove the jet from the assembly . This can be a little bit tricky because of the size of the jet.

There may be some mesh inside the jet to protect it from any dirt in the gas. Winkle out the mesh carefully and check if you can see through the hole of the jet and that it is round and clean. The mesh is difficult to clean even with alcohol. If the blockage is really bad, consider replacing it with a new part or make one yourself.

Use a toothpick to clean the inside of the jet before you attempt to clean the hole itself. After that you can clean the surface of the jet before cleaning the hole of the jet with the pricker wire. It is best to poke the wire from the inside out. Scrape the bore of the hole clean. Be careful not to make the hole bigger than it is. You can also clean with alcohol or hot water and detergent.

While the stove is disassembled you should take the opportunity to clean the other parts by wiping them, including the control valve. Remember to apply the silicon grease on the O-rings whether you replaced it or not.

Once everything is clean you can begin to reassemble the stove. Now is the time the video of you disassembling the stove would be useful. The jet should be tight to prevent the gas from leaking when the valve is open.

After you've reassembled the stove you should test it. But first, check for leaks according the stove manufacturer recommendations which usually involves a bucket of water. If all goes well, you should have a flame that sits firmly on the burner head at full blast. You now have a camp stove that performs like new.